11363 (2026). Mike Davidson to the Minister of Internal Affairs

11363 (2026). Mike Davidson to the Minister of Internal Affairs: What are the current live fire training capabilities at all Fire and Emergency New Zealand training facilities, if any, broken down by site?

Hon Brooke van Velden: I am advised that Fire and Emergency New Zealand delivers live fire training primarily through its National Training Centre (NTC) in Rotorua, supplemented by a secondary facility in Woolston, Christchurch, and through partner arrangements. National Training Centre (Rotorua): • Multi-compartment, wood-fuelled live fire facility: currently under refurbishment, with live fire container cells expected to be installed by the end of April 2026. • Single-compartment live fire facility (Compartment Fire Behaviour Trainer): operational, used to develop understanding of fire behaviour and limited response techniques. • Gas-prop facilities: fully operational, enabling training across a range of scenarios including domestic, multi-storey, industrial, and vehicle fires. Woolston (Christchurch): • Multi-room live fire facility: Currently under refurbishment, more limited in scale than the NTC. • Gas-prop facilities: operational, used primarily for action response drills. Partner facilities: • Fire and Emergency also utilises partner facilities, including those operated by the New Zealand Defence Force and Auckland International Airport Limited, to support delivery of live fire training where required.